The final words of a man as he lay dying at his home after being shot by two hitmen, have been recalled in court.

Retired businessman Mohammed Sabir Raja pleaded in Punjabi with his killers and called out to his dead mother, an Old Bailey jury heard.

They are Hoogstraten's men and they have hit me

Mohammed Sabir Raja's alleged dying words to his grandson Rizvan

His grandson Rizvan told the court how he saw his grandfather shot at close range with a single-barrelled, sawn-off shotgun, three years ago.

The prosecution alleges the two hitmen were Robert Knapp and David Croke, and that they had been hired by millionaire property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten.

All three men deny murdering Mr Raja.

Gun reloaded

Rizvan, who flew from Pakistan to give evidence, told the court he had been upstairs with his brother Waheed when they heard a loud bang and screaming.

On going downstairs, he saw his grandfather in the hallway clutching his chest or stomach, and two other men.

"One of them was reloading a sawn-off shotgun," he said.

He told the court how his 62-year-old grandfather had said: "'They are Hoogstraten's men and they have hit me.' He repeated that twice."

Rizvan added: "Then he called on his mother 'Mum, they have hit me.'

"She passed away in 1985."

Grandfather's pain

Mr Raja, who had tears in his eyes and looked "disturbed", told his grandsons to call the police, recalled Rizvan.

Rizvan described how the man who was loading the gun wore a cap like England wicketkeeper Jack Russell, while the other wore a moustache and was carrying a garden fork.

He told the jury that when he tried to call the police from the kitchen he was told he was being held in a queue.

Confronted by the gunman, Rizvan slammed the kitchen door shut and threw himself on the floor.

But hearing his grandfather screaming, he opened the door to find Mr Raja holding a black kitchen knife.

Rizvan told the jury he saw the gunman point the shotgun at his grandfather.

"Then I just heard a loud bang and it hit my grandfather.

"He fell down and the gunman ran away," he said.

Call for help

After checking for his grandfather's pulse and finding he was still being held in a queue for the police, Rizvan said he had asked a neighbour to phone for help.

Mr Raja was stabbed and then shot at his home in Sutton, Surrey, on 2 July 1999.

Mr van Hoogstraten, 57, of Framfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, also denies conspiring with Mr Croke, 59, of Bolney Road, East Moulsecoomb, Brighton, and Mr Knapp, 55, of Convent Street, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, and others to murder Mr Raja between 1 January and 3 July 1999.

The court has already heard that Mr van Hoogstraten was in a legal wrangle with his former friend Mr Raja over business debts.

Mr Raja was taking court proceedings against Mr van Hoogstraten, alleging fraud, the jury has heard.

The case continues.